Dec. 21 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's drive to strengthen critical mineral resource security is running into a growing workforce problem as mining companies struggle to hire workers and government-backed training programs are set to end, industry officials and academics said.
The Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mining Industry Corporation said Sunday that a foreign workforce introduction project for mining under the employment permit system produced six hires this year, or about 3% of its target of 200. The number was six fewer than last year and brought the two-year performance to 4.5% of the combined target, the agency said.
The project launched last year as labor shortages in the mining industry worsened. Preliminary results from Statistics Korea's 2024 Mining and Manufacturing Survey showed mining sector employment fell 8.7% from a year earlier, the report said.
Industry officials said efforts to use foreign workers have faced constraints. One official said allowing foreign workers to take on certain supporting tasks related to explosives would help address labor shortages, but those duties are prohibited. Past safety incidents involving explosives at tunnel construction sites have made authorities cautious, the official said. Companies have also cited communication barriers, cultural differences and skills gaps as practical hurdles.
